


Flower Boy

by eliphya



Category: Naruto
Genre: (or something similar to that), Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childhood Friends, F/M, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-03-10 03:21:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18930259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eliphya/pseuds/eliphya
Summary: Hinata has moved to the countryside, where once in a while a Flower Boy passes in front of her house.





	1. Chapter 1

The first thing Hinata had noticed about living in the countryside was that it was much quieter than the city. It was an obvious fact to consider yet the peacefulness astonished her whenever she sat on the terrace of her new home. Together with the view, the stillness was so different from the world she had lived in until now.

After just a few days of settling in, her little sister had already found friends to explore the village with. With her fair 12 years, Hinata should do the same instead, she studied the curves of mountains from her bedroom window. How they were stony and grey at the tip but plastered with trees and little houses when decreasing. How distinct the different shades of green were that surrounded her, some dark, seemingly absorbing and others glowing brightly from the sunlight.

They were somewhat far from the village center so there weren't very many people to see on the street in front of her house. Except for that one boy who always passed by on a bicycle. He carried flowers in a basket in the front of his bike and in a bag around his shoulders. Usually, he would be gone rather quickly. Only on the day they had moved in, he came down from his vehicle. Shortly roaming his eyes over the building, he unintentionally made eye contact with her.

Hinata remembered how hot it was that day and that he was carrying sunflowers as yellow as the far-reaching fields of the same kind of flowers behind him. She would probably meet more people once school started but until this day, he was the only local she saw regularly. Maybe it was because she hadn't much to do but she started to wonder where he brought that flowers to every other day. The imaginations in her head degenerated the longer she thought about it but she couldn't control her mind from drifting away. It had become a hobby of hers that brightened her day a little bit because there were no borders to her ideas.

Hinata looked up from her book and took a deep breath of the fresh air that smelled like grass. The sunflowers on the field behind the roads and the bushes had started to wither. Their color had once greeted her every morning and now she was sad seeing it fade into brown. The leaves of the tree above her rustled and for a short while outweighed the singing of the cicadas when she heard the sound of a bike approaching. The Flower Boy was driving down the road, his hair seemingly golden in the sunshine. From the distance, she couldn't see what kind of flowers peaked over the basket of his bike but they were surely bright.

Her gaze followed him closing in even when she was aware that she shouldn't be staring. He first glanced at her house, that towered over the trees before his eyes met hers. His expression changed into a stunned one; she also had to raise her brows. Both sides refused to avert until Flower Boy departed from the path and drove into a pit at the side of the road, disappearing from her sight. Hinata could hear the bike crashing to the ground and jumped up to run towards him.

"Are you okay?" He had fallen to the side, his bike on top of him. Hinata carefully stepped down to help him lift the vehicle off his body. The grass was moist and cold and had stained his clothes.

"Yeah." Mumbling he scratched the back of his head. The flowers, the basket had carried, were scattered on the ground. Panicked he examined the ones in his bag pack, which had survived the drop without falling out. He laid his bicycle down and got on his knees to pick up what he had lost. After glimpsing at him and watching his movement for a while, Hinata assisted him.

Once he got out of the pit he grunted and held his ankle, the bike they had pushed up falling down for anew. "What's wrong? Are you in pain?" Hinata switched between eyeing the grip around his foot and the distorted expression on his face.

"Guess I hurt it when I fell down." The words hissed between his clenched teeth. He stood upright again and Hinata trailed him limping to his bike.

"Thanks for helping," he said and tapped away the dirt on his shorts, the area around his knees had green-brownish stains.

"Will you be able to ride your bike?" Hinata was still looking at his foot, which he refused to fully support his weight on.

"Ah, I'll manage it somehow. I don't have to go very far, just the village center." The Flower Boy swung his leg over the bike and gently stroked the blossom in his basket. But instead of taking off, he remained in his position, only few steps away from her.

Hinata brought to mind that this was the longest she had ever spoken to a resident of this village and it made her hands sweaty. The rays of the sun seemed hotter and the singing of the insects urged her to speak up. She wasn't good at making friends but maybe this was an opportunity to work on that. Even when she felt sorry for him for falling down and getting hurt, she still believed that she should seize this chance.

"Should I..." Her shyness was not as easy to overcome as she had planned, her voice had lost its volume and her face felt hot. Hinata pushed her insecurities away and clenched her fists. "Should I take you there?" Her firmness surprised her for a moment but when she saw him raising his brows, she pressed her lips together, nervous that he would reject her as soon as she had found the bit of courage that was in her.

He shook his head. "Don't worry, there is no need for that," he stated, laughing awkwardly.

"Oh." The tight knot in her chest loosened and left a dull ache where her tension had been. She felt very stupid for even asking and imagined herself jumping into the pit to hide from his view. "Okay."

"See ya." It appeared like he hadn't noticed her disappointment and placed his feet on the pedals shortly before driving away.

 _Maybe next time,_  she thought and looked after him. Her slacking shoulders tensed again when he halted a few feet away, the dry ground resounding under his feet. Then he got down from his seat and walked backwards, the bike still between his legs.

Hinata was paralyzed when he stopped right in front of her, obviously in pain as he returned her a twisted face. "Maybe you  _could_  help me after all?" He pouted slightly and didn't fully turn his head towards her.

It wasn't the right moment to keep silent but suddenly Hinata noticed how close they stood next to each other. She had only seen him from afar up until today even when she had looked at him many times when he passed by. She noticed that he had scars on his cheek and that his eyes were a peculiar shade of blue.

* * *

After learning each other's names on the way, there wasn't much more to talk about. Hinata now knew that the Flower Boy's name was Naruto and that he was helping to deliver local flowers from his family's farm to the village's flower shop. Except for the directions he gave her from time to time, it was silent. Hinata tried to concentrate on riding the bike. Sometimes she felt his hands on her back, which Naruto always removed again quickly. Still, it made her feel fuzzy, overshadowing the ache of her thighs from taking Naruto's weight up the steeper hills.

There were birds chirping in the air and occasionally the wind rustled up the wide and unending fields of crops —under them the bike's wheels resounded against the dry ground.

"Am I heavy?" Naruto asked, shifting his head as if he could see her face from his position. Even when she denied his question, he knew that she didn't have an easy time riding over the waves of the hills. When the road got steeper and stonier her body moved to and fro like a metronome. He persuaded himself that the apprehensive feeling in his gut was caused by his young pride being struck from her having to give him a ride. There was nothing he could do to help her and he felt useless watching the back of the head. She had a rash on her neck, that was exposed completely because of the short length of her hair. And somehow the view of her back made him gulp.

They turned into the main street and after only seeing single small houses, the buildings gained in density. The road was more even and asphalted, making it easier for Hinata to pedal. People greeted Naruto and exchanged few words when they drove by, glancing at the girl in the front. She had been here before, several times actually. But even in a small place like this, it appeared like she detected more things new to her. Like the old music playing at a cafe or the several pots of plants and flowers placed at the doors and windows.

There were cats sitting in the shadows of the buildings and around the water fountain by the town hall. A group of men, who had sat together at a small table next to it, waved at Naruto and laughed. "Bringing more than just flowers this time?" One of them had lowered his cigarette and held a hand to his forehead to prevent getting blinded by the sun. "Shouldn't the girl be the one sitting in the back."

"Shut up, old man!" Naruto shouted back but chuckled as they distanced themselves.

He pointed at their destination and Hinata stopped in front of the shop between a ramen stand and a supermarket, that wasn't much bigger than the flower shop. Naruto had explained to her that the shop wasn't very big so they didn't need many goods and he didn't have to deliver a lot, only ever a little when he came.

Hinata wasn't sure of what to do when he grabbed the flowers from the basket and adjusted them in his arms. She looked at the pots with cut flowers displayed on a wooden beam right in front of the shop's display window. Even from outside, she could guess how little it was inside. She saw that the flora overtook nearly all the space only the counter with the register soaring over the beautiful jungle. There was a person behind it who immediately walked outside when seeing who arrived.

"Naruto, you're late," a girl said as she stepped over the frame of the door that was kept open. "Again," she added in a scolding voice. The stranger must have been similar to her age. Her fair hair was put up in a ponytail and her body wrapped in an orange apron. Her eyes sparkled and she was even prettier up front.

"Sorry." Naruto pulled in his head as he handed her over the flowers and grasped over his shoulder to get a hold of his bag.

"Did you take a detour again?" The strict tone in her voice weakened when she detected Hinata, who had stepped away awkwardly. "Who's that?"

Naruto gestured her to come closer and she did after a while of hesitation. "This is Hinata, they moved into the big house down the hills." He pointed with his thumb over his shoulder. "The one that was empty for years."

"Ah right, the one by the large sunflower field?" She mirrored Hinata's nodding. "Typical, you try to be friends with everyone in this village."

Naruto narrowed his brows. "Why'd you care who I'm friends with?"

"I don't." She looked back at Hinata and smiled. "I'm Ino by the way. If you ever want to hang out with someone, who isn't an idiot come to me."

"Hey!" Naruto protested but flinched when he stepped down with his hurt foot. Ino ignored his outburst and gave Hinata all her attention.

"We could introduce you to the others next time." She thrust her slightly with her shoulder. Hinata was astonished at how friendly she was as if this wasn't their first meeting.

"Thank you." Her soft voice couldn't indicate how thankful she actually felt. Ino accepted her so easily that Hinata regretted having troubled herself with so many worries of how to make friends.

Ino said goodbye and took the delivered flowers to vanish in the shop but not without waving for one last time. Hinata smirked and regarded the building more carefully. Tall golden letters displayed the name 'Yamanaka' at the top of the display window. It seemed to be a family business since it looked like they also resided in the apartment above the shop. White curtains floated out of the open windows and she saw a shadow pass by.

"You wanna look around?" Hinata didn't notice how Naruto had walked up to her to examine her. She shuddered before thinking about his suggestion. Glancing at his ankle she couldn't accept it even when she really wanted to roam the spot, which today seemed more lively compared to her memories of this place.

Hinata's glimpsing at his foot reminded him that he was incapable of walking through the many winding streets. "You're right. Next time then." He laughed and even if his words meant that she wouldn't be able to see more of the village now, they also promised that he would do on another day and that was enough for her to smile, looking forward to it.

Naruto inspected his surroundings a little before his gaze stopped at the building next to them.

"We can get some ice cream though." He dug his hand deep into his pocket and produced some coins. "My treat." Grinningly he shook the collection of coins in his palm to make them resound.

They spent much more time in the village center than they had planned. Sitting next to the fountain and its cooling spatter of water they consumed as much ice cream and snacks as their pocket money could buy. Some kids their age, who were Naruto's friends, joined them shortly before continuing on their ways. Mostly it was Naruto talking between them but Hinata listened to every word with care. She felt like she had learned much more about this village like this than her father could ever tell her.

When riding the bike back, Naruto apologized for his inability to walk properly but Hinata shook her head saying that it was okay. Still, he insisted on making up for it later. The sun was descending towards the horizon bit by bit already. Any traces of clouds had disappeared during the afternoon, leaving only the sky that was dyed in colors of pink and purple. Over the tips of the mountains, the sky appeared much more vast and endless than she had ever seen it.

From the side Naruto could see the smile on the corner of her lips and even when he didn't exactly know what made her lips bend, it made him smile too. The wind blew, taming the trees and bushes. Her short hair danced in the breeze and tickled his nose. A familiar sweet scent addling him, that he assumed were the flowers they had carried earlier. But it was her hair that spread the fragrance, this realization instantly made his ears heat up.

Whenever passing her window, Hinata lingered a little bit more at the sill, hoping for Flower Boy to appear. Now knowing who he was and where he went, looking out for him carried different feelings than before. She was much more excited and eager to see him and far more disappointed when a day went by before having that opportunity.

Sitting outside on the bench beneath the peach tree had become her daily ritual to an extent where she had memorized every little detail about the view in front of her when she sat there. She could paint the arches of the mountains in her mind, the little houses between the trees, the shapes of the stones lined along the street, and she would know exactly in which shades to color everything.

She didn't have enough self-confidence to walk over to Naruto's farm herself so all she was left with was waiting for him to come by.

After several days of agonized waiting, Hinata saw his figure in the distance. He was riding his bike as he always did and, just like always, he had a basket of flowers in the front and in a bag on his back. Hinata stood up when he slowed down, his gaze dwelling on her, and finally stopped by her feet. They greeted each other but the atmosphere was awkward since they hadn't seen each other in a while. When each asked about the wellbeing of the other both answered in short sentences.

Naruto scratched the bridge of his nose and stepped down from his bike. "Wanna come with me again?" he asked and strode closer to her. Hinata eyes widened. She had pictured seeing him again one day but actually being asked to go with him still made her stomach prickle, no matter the countless times she had imagined this moment.

"I can show you around this time." With shaking his foot he revealed that he was healed and capable of taking that task. "Don't worry, I'll be the one pedaling." He grinned and Hinata giggled lightly. She nodded, it was too timid considering how much she yearned of accompanying him.

"All right." Naruto took the bag off his shoulders and moved even closer, wanting to help her wear it. He slipped the strap over one of her arms and walked around to do the same on the other side.

Hinata stiffened whenever his hand stroked her arms and she felt herself blushing.

"Let's go." He went back to his bike, unaffected by the scene when Hinata needed seconds to find her way back to the present. Naruto had equipped the back of his bicycle with a pillow and she smiled upon perceiving it. She sat down carefully, lifting her feet off the ground.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Cling on tight." Naruto put his feet on the pedals. Once again, his hair appeared like a wild shock of golden threats.

"Yes." Timidly Hinata rose her hand to grab his shirt, his back was warm. Then they took off.


	2. Chapter 2

The ground resounded when Hinata dragged her shoe over the dry soil. Her hands frantically held the steering of her bike as her eyes observed her own feet like there was more to see than the dirt on the tip of her shoes. She looked up at the sky, dotted by clouds. Except them wandering above her head, the world was motionless and quiet. Even when she hadn't slept much she was jittery and excited. She didn't mind the humidity or the lack of shade from the peach tree she was standing under because there were other things that conquered her whole attention. Now and then she rose her head to look out for Naruto, blended by the sunflowers on the other side, that had never seemed more golden yellow than today.

Since yesterday the same memory resumed in her mind and she tried to keep her mouth from smiling too widely. It had been the last day before the summer break. Their friends had bid goodbye one by one as they walked their way home, in the end only Naruto and Hinata remained. Still, in their school uniforms, they had relished on the silence they shared, when Naruto turned into a different street than the one that led to her house.

Hinata had followed him, under the assumption that he wanted to take a stroll before going home. But on the highest hill then, he had stopped walking and faced her. The village was visible beneath and a tractor passed them, making loud noises when driving by. Naruto had been rubbing his palms on his pants before looking her right in the eye and telling her that he liked her. Not just as a friend but as a girl. He had said words that she thought so often of to confess herself but she never did in fear of harming their friendship. She had told him too, how much she liked him for years already, not just as a precious friend but as a boy.

They had smiled at each other, in a way different from the smiles they had exchanged in those four years they knew each other. Then shyly looked away, lingering at their positions before continuing to walk. At her door then, he had reminded her that they would have to make a delivery to the flower shop the next day. It had become a hobby they enjoyed together for years already. They never missed meeting up and riding those hills on their bikes to the village center together. And confessing their fondness of each other didn't have the power to change that.

The imagination of seeing Naruto again after that made Hinata sense a complex mixture of feelings. She was nervous to meet him, worried that she might act oddly or say something wrong. But strangely at the same time, she was yearning to step under his sight, talk to and observe him while his mind was in the depths of his own thoughts. Absorb his grin, that she knew all too well.

She didn't know what to expect but when she sighted Naruto walking towards her with the flowers in his basket and his gaze shifted to somewhere else but her, her heart pumped in eager to have him by her side. His walk to her took too long for Hinata to handle. He halted in front of her and finally lifted his head, nothing more than a simple "Morning" able to fall off his lips. The air between them was electrifying and their gazes timid but full of meaning. For moments they just stared at each other, both waiting for something to happen or something to be said but not exactly knowing what it was.

"What are you waiting for? Take the flowers."

"Right." She rushed to his basket, a little too hastily and nearly tripping over her own feet. She took the flowers, as if the almost-accident didn't happen, and put them in her own basket.

"Let's go." He had guessed that she would make him flustered but the heart in his chest was too jumpy for him to tame. Any sentences he had prepared for this moment, had left him completely, without a trace of ever existing. He didn't know what to say, where to look, how to move; he was a mess. How could one person create such chaos in someone else?

He sat on his bike, waiting for Hinata to do the same before taking off. Normally they would ride their bikes side by side, sometimes talking, but today Hinata was behind him. She watched his back, his hair moving in the upwind and the pout on his lips when he slightly turned his head. There was nothing else to see in her view than him. All of sudden Hinata asked herself in what kind of relationship they were now. They certainly weren't just friends anymore but were they boyfriend and girlfriend yet? The sheer thought of that made the blood rush to her head.

Naruto checked the dark clouds behind the mighty mountains, which slowly but steadily floated in their direction. While the stillness was filled with making plans of what to do from now on, the humidity heated his body. He felt his shirt sticking to the sweat on his back and his hands becoming clammy.

Ino was already waiting for them and waved when she saw them closing in. Her senses were quick to catch on the atmosphere and she pressed her lips together to keep herself from grinning. She threw an expectant glance at Hinata when Naruto was busy with taking a part of the delivery inside.

She and Sakura had come over to her house yesterday, squealing loudly when Hinata had told her about what happened. The cake she had prepared for them had been soon forgotten when they racked their brains about how Hinata should handle the situation and that she should take the lead if Naruto wasn't able to. But that was easier said than done also since she was rather someone who followed than showed the way. Especially in a field, she knew nothing about.

Naruto moved so quickly back and forth that it appeared like he wanted to leave this place as fast as he could and while Hinata wasn't sure of what to think of his hurried actions, Ino enjoyed it to the fullest. She giggled, not wanting to leave the awkward couple just yet. In her arms, the scent of the delivered roses delighting her nose. Ino pushed Hinata with her hip when leaving their side. And they took off after she stepped over the threshold to her shop.

Without the flowers, Naruto's back appeared much smaller. It reminded Hinata of those times when she had newly met him before her father had bought her her own bike. Back then she would sit behind him on his and not once had he complained about carrying her. He had told stories and jokes as if it was his obligation to make her laugh while she studied his appearance from behind. Naruto had shown her every inch of the village that was to explore and introduced him to his friends, making her a significant part of his life. As they grew older the sight of his back had changed, his shoulders had become broader, his arms and legs more capable but his grin had stayed the same.

The clouds had reached the mountains on one side and overtook their peaks on their way to cover the sun with their grayness. Without its gleaming rays, the wildflowers on the side of the road got lost in the darkness of the grass. At the appearance of the sunflower fields, Hinata knew that her house wasn't far away anymore.

Even when they haven't said goodbye yet, she already thought about the next time she would be able to meet Naruto. The school was on break and it would take some days until their next delivery. Usually, they spent a lot of time together but the situation had changed now.

They both gazed at her house, that was more than ever surrounded by nature. The bench under the peach tree, that was one of her favorite places to be, had become battered, the evidence of weather eternalized on its wood. Some fruits of the tree had fallen down and Hinata planned on picking them up later. When she turned towards the boy, her words of parting got stuck in her throat as he beat her to it.

"Should we meet again later?" he asked, one of his legs wobbling on the pedals of his bicycle. "We could take the bus to the city." One corner of his mouth trembled in nervousness when he proceeded, "Like a date."

Hinata's eyes enlarged and she blinked as if she wanted to ensure that this was reality. She nodded, incapable of using her voice for help in accepting his proposal.

"You want to?" Since Hinata looked so dazed, he couldn't just take the bobbing of her head as an answer. He sensed his confidence coming back to him the longer he talked.

"Of course." Her foot took a step towards him as she blurted out her reply and somehow that phrase eased his chest. He smiled upon seeing her blush and brush her hair behind an ear. He was relieved Hinata's presence had lost its effect of making him speechless.

"At two o'clock at the bus station then?" Naruto placed his feet on his pedals, only needing her confirmation to take off.

"Okay."

Her eyes trailed him departing. She even walked a little to the street to see some more of him until he vanished. She stood there for a while and took a deep breath, helping her brain in processing the events. Then she rushed inside, even forgetting to take her bike with her.

* * *

After carefully examining every piece of clothing she had in her dresser, Hinata had chosen to wear a long skirt and a light blouse. She hadn't had the opportunity to wear any of the pieces yet and she felt how new the fabric was when they stroked her skin with its softness as she put them on. Inspecting herself in the mirror, she felt pretty. It was visible that she had dressed for something special but it wasn't obvious that it was a date. Her eyes sparkled from the little makeup she had put on and a clip adorned her hair at the side.

When the rain drummed against her window she discarded the idea of wearing sandals and slipped socks on instead. Despite the downpour, she didn't want to resign on dressing up and took out a clean pair of sneakers.

Her father had frowned hearing her ask for permission to drive down to the city. But he had permitted it with the trust that she would call him now and then to make sure everything was alright. It wasn't her first time driving to town by bus but she understood his concern and promised to let him know about her wellbeing every so often. At her front door, Hinata grabbed an umbrella and left her house.

Immediately the pattering of the rain fulfilled the place. The upper parts of the mountains had become foggy, making it harder to distinguish between the clouds and the ground. After walking only a little she already felt the wetness on her legs and held her bag closer to her body. The air was still warm. The droplets of the summer rain weren't the least bit cooling and it seemed like lukewarm water fell from the sky.

The ground was muddy and puddles had formed, gaining in size. Her way had become a parkour where she tried to avoid stepping into them and quickly reach the bus station before the weather got worse. Water streamed down the hills at the edges of the road and it felt like the rain fell harder by the minute.

Not once had she expected that she would curse this kind of weather one day. She usually liked the summer rain, that shushed everything else in its environment and made everything and everyone listen to its pelting.

The village life was already peaceful but when it rained, it felt like they reached a phase of stillness that couldn't be compared to any other place on earth. In summer she would hold her hand out her window and let the weather wet her skin. It was the natural way of cooling herself at times when the heat was unbearable to stand.

Right now though it was messing up her day and she couldn't be more frustrated at it having found the worst time to release its drops on the world. Hinata rushed a little faster when her socks around her ankles started to get moist. But the ground was slippery from the muddy soil and when she descended she slipped and fell, rolling down the bit to the foot of the hill.

Her kneecaps and palms ached when she recovered from the shock of suddenly falling down. A look down herself proved that her clothing was stained with dirt. The once so fair white seam with its frilly laces was drowned in brown liquid. Her fringe stuck to the bridge of her nose. Some of her hair strands had loosened from her bun and fell into her eyesight. She was already drenched even when she had been unprotected from the rain for only seconds.

She had lost the grip around her umbrella in her fall and saw it a few feet away from her. Right when she moved to stand up, supporting herself with her hands on the dirt, she heard Naruto's voice calling her from afar. He threw his umbrella to the ground and ran towards her, carrying a worried expression on his face.

"What happened? Are you hurt?" He didn't need answers to his questions as his gaze already slid down her body, envisioning what had happened.

"I'll take you home." He crouched down so that he could piggyback her when standing up, the rain still falling down on them with all its might. Adjusting her on his back, he reached for her umbrella and gave it to her so that she could shield them with it. Hinata sensed the hardness of the rain from her hand around the grip of the umbrella. She noticed that with "Home" he hadn't meant hers but his as he was walking in the direction of his farm.

Her arm tightened around his neck and she rested her chin on it. Naruto's wet hair brushed her cheek and being so close to him should make her flustered but she felt embarrassed instead. Embarrassed that she looked like a mess right now, that he had to carry her because her hands and legs throbbed, embarrassed that, with her clumsy manner, she had ruined a day that could have become wonderful.

Naruto heard her sniffle first very quietly, suppressed by the drumming of the rain against the umbrella, then another time. Due to the way they were walking, he couldn't check if she had a runny nose just because or if she cried. As he feared that it was the latter, he vigorously thought of what to do. They haven't said a word since he had picked her up as he imagined that she would rather walk in silence but now he doubted that that was a good decision.

"I have something for you," he said but realized that he was in no way capable to take out the present with his occupied hands.

"What?" It was like his words had woken her as the rain had lulled her to someplace far away from here.

"My front pocket. Can you reach it?" She lifted her head a little more so that she could look over his shoulder and she actually saw something sticking out of his pocket. It took her body a few adjustments until she was able to reach for it.

Hinata already felt that it was something wrapped in plastic and when she held it up to her eye level she recognized that it was a single sunflower, somewhat crushed from Naruto's previous movements. It was rather small, not like the ones that grew on the fields by her house but like the cultured ones that bloomed on his farm. Hinata had studied them several times when she helped pluck them.

Around the stem it had a bright yellow bow, yet not as glowing as the petals. Their color mesmerized her, reminding her of days, that wasn't defined by rain. The world around them was blue and grey but right now it felt like she was holding the sun in her hand. It had a healing effect on her ache and made her feel so joyous that she nearly dropped the umbrella.

"Since this is our first date and sunflowers are your favorite, I thought I could bring you one." Naruto chuckled sheepishly. "I know it's very lame but-"

"No." Hinata still fixated the flower and Naruto saw how her fingers stiffened around it. "I love it." Her voice carried a softness in it that made him smile. He had spent enough time with Hinata to know what made her happy. Often it was little things that evoked such contentment in her, that made him fall for her over and over again.

* * *

The blowing of the hairdryer outmatched the sound of the rain. Naruto ran his fingers through her long dark hair as he moved the dryer up and down, the smell of shampoo in his nose. Her neck was exposed because his shirt was too big on her and he tried to abolish it from his sight as it made him feel weirdly in his stomach. It was fair and looked soft. He had often wondered how she managed her skin to stay so white despite the amount of time she spent outside.

The house was empty as his parents and his godfather had left for a trip to a fair for local farmers. He hadn't asked Hinata out just because he wanted to go on a date together but also because he disliked staying home alone. He hadn't planned on sitting on the floor and drying each others hair but it was far better than being lonely. Also to him, it didn't matter what they did as long as they were together.

The smell of the rain combined with the scents of the flowers from the farm. Since she was little, Hinata had enjoyed the fragrance in the air when she came over to visit. It was a special scent that only existed at this place. It was light, maybe difficult to catch when not familiar with it, but fresh and easing. On some seasons it was sweeter and on others milder but there was always a trace of it somewhere. Even in winter when there weren't any flowers blossoming but the walls of Naruto's home still released the bloom, that brought back memories from her times on the fields and playing with Naruto.

The ends of her hair were still a little wet when he shut off the dryer and put it away, reaching for the first-aid-kid he had prepared at his side. The draft from the door and the tall windows to the back yard, he had opened after sending her away to take a shower, was refreshing and cooled down the temperature in the living room.

Naruto grabbed crosslegged Hinata at her shoulders and lightly turned her around to face him. His shorts were long enough to cover her knees completely and he pulled them up to inspect the grazes, which had stopped bleeding at least. She was surprised at his unfaltering actions but recalled how he forgot everything else once he focused on something. He treated her wounds, warning her before applying something that stung.

His fingers were careful in every touch. Whereas she felt like a burden whenever he cared like this for her, she couldn't help but feel happy from being a person for him, he looked out for to this extent. He blew on her to reduce the pain of the sting and it was moments like these that taught her that despite his easygoing attitude Naruto was quite attentive and manly. After watching him for a while and getting used to him caressing her, Hinata's gaze shifted to the sunflower she held in her lap.

"You were delivering sunflowers on the first day we met." Just as her eyes continued in eying the flower, his stayed on her legs.

"Really? When I fell down that pit?"

"No, the day I moved in." She laid the flower down by her thighs. "You were standing on the other side of the road."

"Ah." He hadn't considered that mere eye-contact a  _meeting_. "You're right." He glanced at her before continuing at his task.

"There was a whole field of them behind you but somehow the ones in your basket looked much prettier." That was probably the reason why she started to like sunflowers this much. They were connected to precious memories from her past. Hinata looked at him finishing the work on her knees.

"Of course, it's our job to make 'em pretty." Grinningly he threw the ointment back into the kit and she joined in, beaming a smile. But when he caught the wound on her cheek, the corners of his mouth pulled down again. Naruto closed in on her and turned her head with his hand on her jaw. Without losing his sight on the red dot he reached for the salve again and applied it on her cheek. She winced and he mumbled an absent "Sorry".

"Why were you wearing unsuitable shoes like that anyway? You know how slippery the ground gets when it rains." He looked for a bandaid in the box and soon found one, sticking it on her cheek a second later.

Naruto wasn't really waiting for an answer as he had stated his words rather as a scolding than a question.

But Hinata defeated the anxiety the closeness of his face and his strokes on her cheek made her feel. "It was our first date so I wanted to look pretty."

Her confession made his eyes widen, his hands still in the air. She was looking at the floor, eyeing the paper waste of the band-aid as if it was much more interesting than the stunned expression of the boy.

"But I ruined it-" Hinata had lifted her hand to touch the band-aid on her face but Naruto grabbed it mid-air, forcing her to look at him again. He squeezed her hand with his thumb and his other fingers, not indulging with his gaze that stared into hers.

Slowly, gently, he pulled her hand towards him, dragging her body with it. Hinata heard the pounding of her heart in her ears and felt the heat of his touch on her skin. He neared until their noses brushed and Hinata clasped his hand back. They dwelled like this for a few moments, their breaths hitting. He rose his other hand to the corner of her lips and stroked her by that spot. Then he bedded his lips on hers. It was an innocent and hesitant first kiss that would be remembered by the blending of their heartbeats and the music of the rain, the crisp smell of summer and the brisk breeze that made the chime at the window resound in lovely tunes.


End file.
